MP enters Bay Trail row and calls for extensive community consultation before final leg is built

Mordialloc state Labor MP Tim Richardson has weighed in on the growing battle over the Bay Trail and slammed Kingston Council for lack of consultation.

Mordialloc state Labor MP Tim Richardson has weighed in on the bay trail debate. Picture: Nicki Connolly

Mordialloc state Labor MP Tim Richardson has weighed in on the growing battle over the Bay Trail.

Mr Richardson has slammed Kingston Council for failing to adequately involve residents and community clubs before deciding to narrow Beach Rd and remove indented parking spots for the final leg of the foreshore pathway from Mentone to Mordialloc.

But Kingston Residents Association president Trevor Shewan accused the MP of siding with “noisy, beachfront residents”.

In a letter to Roads Minister Luke Donnellan, Mr Richardson called for extensive community consultation to be carried out before any work begins.

“The fact hundreds of people turned up to a council meeting, the fact that well over 1000 people have signed a petition and local lifesaving, yacht clubs and schools are none the wiser on what’s going on, should send alarm bells to council that they haven’t done enough community engagement,” Mr Richardson said.

Pushed by Deputy Mayor Rosemary West, who wants to save as much of a hectare of seaside trees along Beach Rd as possible, the council’s plan would see the road, from Mentone Lifesaving Club to Mordialloc’s Peter Scullin Reserve, narrowed from an average of 14m to 12.7m near bus stops and carparks, 13.05m where there’s indented parking, and 13.4m in remaining patches. The removal of indented spaces would be partially offset by kerbside parking, with a total of
43 spaces lost.

Cr West said she hoped a new information campaign would “alleviate a lot of concern”.

“We’ll still lose some vegetation, but it’s a compromise between saving as much vegetation as we can and saving as much parking as we can,” Cr West said.

Mr Richardson acknowledged foreshore trees played an important role as a food source for animals and in stabilising dunes, but said the council hadn’t “even started to explain” the benefits of narrowing the road to save vegetation.

However, Mr Shewan said Mr Richardson should clarify where he stood on environmental issues.

“With an election looming, we need to know,” he said.

“From the strong Australian Labor Party’s environment policy, you’d expect him to support the Kingston councillors’ efforts to save the foreshore vegetation.”

VicRoads metro southeast regional director Aidan McGann said the authority would continue to work with the council in developing the project.